The Americans have landed!

Hooray!Remember I told you I had spent some of my Christmas money on a something from America? well theeeeeeeeeeeeeeere heeeeeeere( that was meant to sound like the little girl of poltergeist incase you were wondering whether my finger had slipped on the 'e')I love these two cushion covers..they're so quirky and chickeny and vintagely fun,
I have no idea where they are going to live but they just had to fly over here and live with me, no matter what.But I really wasn't too pleased that *?@#*(you can insert your own adjective there, mine's too rude) Royal Mail decided they would charge me an extra £15 tax to deliver the parcel, £8 of which is their 'handling fee'..pah! (this is the Royal Mail that refused to sign my paypal posting certificate and then told me snootily that they are 'doing me a favour by posting my parcel')..
Needless to say I now need to go in a car to the nearest post office, skwiffy hormones, Quality Street withdrawal symptoms and annoying stuck up post office ladies do not make a good mix) So unfortunately these have turned out rather more expensive than I had first envisaged..oops.

Well I love them, they may not be everyone's cup of tea but they are certainly mine..hooray for chickens in America and their vintage feedsacks!
They will eventually sit with a vintage Union Jack flag cushion I'm yet to make for a bit of an international mix.Now, I don't know about you, but I'm really terrible at managing my time, I really shouldn't be sat here in my pyjamas blogging, the furry tumble weeds are back in the hall, Red needs a walk and the chickens need cleaning out, let alone the sewing, bed making, message replies, parcel posting and general everyday stuff that goes on inbetween the proper work.
I almost go into a pause mode, like I can't get on with the everyday things whilst something else is going on...in the case of last week it was more hospital appointments involving lady prodding, endless bills to sort out,Pete's job and eBay sales.. and those lovely red slippers having to go back to Cath Kidston in Birmingham, which involved lots of cars hooting and scary roundabouts and me feeling like a country bumpkin driving in the city with a traumatised mother in law in the passenger seat. It turns out the cats were innocent, the falling apart was due to them being cheaply and badly made.
I do think two banana skins would have lasted longer on my feet than those pretty red slippers, so they were swapped with a much hankered over green spotty bag (which I have since changed my mind about and it's on eBay..If I'm honest, I had wanted the other spotty one really with the longer straps and the even more ridiculous price tag!)..
My mother in law decided the slippers must have been too delicate for wearing round the house and should have been worn for getting out of bed and looking 'pretty'..pretty? getting out of bed and looking 'pretty' does not happen in this house, Caffeine starved cavewoman in Simon Cowell's pyjamas is not a pretty sight, even with 'delicate' slippers upon her feet.

Maybe I should wear my 'man boots'..yes, man boots are definately more appropriate in this house..

hmm.. anyway a lovely lady in Australia (hello K!) told me about this website..it is to die for and I'm going to share it. I love their style. LOVE it .
Now I want to live in a Victorian house with sash windows and white walls..(funnily enough rather like my first house) and fill it with quirky colourful vintage goodies.
I also would need small cute stinky boys again and wads of cash but hey there's no harm in browsing is there now? ahhhh drool.
Have a fab week x

Why I love where I live..

When you are practically broke,you have to find entertainment that is free.

No fancy shopping trips and new goodies galore or fancy fairs to visit, no lovely holidays or posh meals out and restaurants to recommend.

Just the simple stuff.

Sometimes it's very easy to take for granted the area that you live in.You see it every day and go around almost blinkered to it.photo borrowed from21 top dog walks

When Malvern was recently voted one of the top nine destinations to take a holiday to in 2009 by AOL we all thought..what Malvern, this Malvern?
Then we remembered what Malvern is all about...

Elgar was inspired by them,The Queen drinks the water from them, people come from all over the world to walk over them and we live two minutes down the road from them.

The Hills.

So today we took a long walk up those big steep,grassy lumps of rock and I thought you might like to see what all the fuss is about... We started off at what is known as 'The Wyche cutting' about half way up and roughly half way along the range of hills known as the Malverns.

Each peak has its own name and we were heading for Jubilee hill.

Once you reach the ridge, one side is Worcestershire, with the town of Great Malvern and the surrounding villages;

..and the other Herefordshire, where you can just see the little village of Colwall. I think I prefer the Hereford side which is more rural and Hilly.On a clear day you can see 5 counties and even the Black mountains of Wales.

This hill is the highest..
but we're not going that way today..my (lack off ) fitness doesn't quite stretch to the climbing the Beacon.


Just over this little one today..... and down the track on the other side.


I think our pennies could just about stretch to a pot of tea at 'The Kettle Sings"

And then it's off back home the easy way..Yep, I think I can see now why I love where I live.

The Blue 'oeuf' and the kindness of strangers

Not only were we excited by the tiny amount of snow but Violet our little grey hen who has seemed very fidgety lately,was so excited she popped out her first blue egg. Followed the next day by another in the most perfect shade of eau de nil. I much prefer the French word for egg 'oeuf' it at least shows some of the chickens' effort at laying it in the word.."ooooooo-ff"
So now she officially becomes a 'Hen', no longer a chicken.I've been in a jolly mood all week as the dreaded court case was thrown out..helps to show up if you want to accuse someone of something (what idiots) and I've been doing a spot of sewing, had a really nice Christmas and things are looking ok..not fantastic, just ok but that'll do me.

I have to show you something that Faye at Country Chic sent me,this was a really,really nice surprise, it arrived just before Christmas and was my only present on Christmas morning, (apart from some nice smelling deodorant from Harry,very practical..!) so not only did Faye make my day, she certainly cheered Pete up as he was feeling a bit bad that he wasn't able to get me a pressie. The box that arrived was full of lovely things, a copy of The English home, my favourite magazine which I had recently had to cancel my subscription to, a rose scented bar of soap all wrapped up in fabric and ribbons to go in your knicker drawer but far to nice to hide away, posh chocolate and this gorgeous toadstool that Faye sells in her beautiful online shop...'The country chic home'I do like spotty toadstools! Isn't that so very nice of her? What a lovely lady. I sent her a whole heap of good karma in return!
I was dreading this Christmas and it turned out to be one of our better ones, the things we had, we really loved and because there weren't many, we appreciated them far more. George got his Banksy poster, his much hankered over DVDs of some crazy bloke doing crazy things, Harry got his replacement bike helmet so that at least I can sleep at night when I find out he does stunts like this .. Pete got his electric jigsaw (many little jobs involving wood and possibly 'Stanley the dog' shaped cutting planned for him) and I got a pair of the prettiest Cath Kidston red slippers from my mother-in-law (she is just the best mother in law)..already looking well used ..and part pompom-less thanks to one of the cats..pests! As well a few other little Cath Kidston bits and bobs from my sisters which were lovely too.
In fact it made us realise and remember what it's all about really, sometimes it's very easy to get lost in the commercialisation of it all.
This morning I made a couple of London Underground cushions , thanks to a tutorial by this lady in Australia..so easy peasy, infact I cheated and didn't even have to put a zip in as I just made an envelope opening so you just fold it and sew down the two sides.
Thanks for the tutorial Kathryn!I love things like this..making something different out of something run of the mill like a tea towel. I'd like to cover Georges boring drum shades with a map of the underground but I'm not getting very far with the pestering (maybe I should just do it whilst he's at college!)I'm going to make some more cushions for my little shop too, the Kate Forman ones I made for Christmas presents went down really well, so I'm aiming for a few more union jack ones and some flowery ones too..(well that's the plan)
Have a great weekend..and keep warm! x

Over the hills and far away

Happy New Year everybody!

Thankyou for your messages, I think we can officially say that I'm totally rubbish at replying to them..oops, sorry, I did try and reply to lots though, honest!Well, we are home from Northumberland and home to a New Year...Oh how I love that place,the sight of that wonderful range of hills in Cumbria that you have to drive through on the M6 to get there makes me feel in awre of this wonderful, diverse country and it's amazing landscape. We always play spot the highest (barmiest) sheep as we go whizzing past. I get the same feeling seeing those Cumbrian hills as when I come home and see ours. The sky was bright blue and they looked like crumpled velvet as the sun hit them. (these photos were taken on the way back home to Malvern)It was lovely being able to spend a few days with some of my family, walking round the pretty stone village of Corbridge, having the most delicious cream tea at the wonderfully nostalgic Watling coffee house where my niece works and visiting the fabulous shops again..particularly RE , where I spent some of my Christmas money from my dear lovely Grannie on a fab little vintage-style mirror, complete with shabby writing and speckled glass! I was very restrained in RE, anyone who has been there will know what wonderful quirky stuff you can find in there. Old flags,rusty letters,cake stands,vintage eiderdowns and gorgeous cushions, candles shaped like cabbages of all things (and very 'phallic' looking asparagus candle as my sister kindly pointed out..yes, it was us sniggering in the greenhouse part of the shop, a smutty sense of humour runs in our family I'm afraid) The rest of my Christmas money has found its way to America and I can't wait for the purchases to arrive from there..'utterly fab' doesn't even come close to what will be winging its way over at some point.(well, I couldn't spend it all on boring old bills and food could I..?) My sister was looking at the most gorgeous vintage haberdashery cabinet (she's a dressmaker/soft furnishings maker) last I heard it was a perfect fit for her sewing room so I hope that means she's going to buy it...how jealous am I!!
She must have been bonkers having 18 of us to sleep but it was great fun, a few mad family days to forget about the impending court case and all our worries, worries that it seems a lot of us are sharing at the moment judging from the heartbreaking emails I received from some of you last month...and I thought we had a lot of problems..I do hope we all find a way out of our mess with jobs and the doom and gloom hanging over some of us at the moment. I guess we were one of the luckier ones in that Pete still has his job for now.

Coming home from our visit 'up north' we walked into the house and I can honestly say it was colder in than out. The blooming boiler had stopped completely whilst we were away and there were five shivering cats huddled up together on the sofa to keep warm..poor things.(well ok, 4 cats,Winnie is out of shot as she refuses to cuddle up with the other cats..no matter how cold it gets, snooty old thing!)
Two roaring coal fires and lots of cuddles later they finally warmed up, I think it has taken 3 days to heat up the house again, you could see your breath inside it was that chilly! It would have to be one of the coldest winters I can remember having in this house, when the boiler decides to well and truly go on the blink..if the hot water is running the heating goes off and vice-versa..hot-cold showers are not my favourite pastime..if you were walking past our house at the time I apologise for the rather blue language and screams that sprung from the bathroom!
Today it was minus 7 and the pond was frozen over..for the first time in 9 years..not a temperature you want to experience really without heating!! I think I may know what poor old Tracy cupcakes was enduring too..chiiiiilllly.
We've got a new feathered lady who has come to live with us after a very nasty experience with Mr.Fox (talk about traumatised, poor thing) and lots of lovely and very unexpected Christmas goodies to show and tell, as well as a very late tag to do from Happy (loves Rosie) I've also been painting and had a move around on Christmas Eve..yes I know..Christmas Eve, 8pm and I decide to swap furniture about and wallpaper backs of cabinets..barmy. I was making cushions for Christmas presents on Christmas day believe it or not! disorganised ..who me??
So I shall pop back with some more pictures and posts hopefully later in the week.I have a lot of catching up to do with everyones blogs too.
Tomorrow I'm in court with the oldest stinky boy..this is the 'fisticuffs at school with a so-called friend' fight back in May which we never thought would get this far. I hate this part..hanging around in court for hours usually to be told its adjourned or someone hasn't turned up..Talk about wasting taxpayers money..best of luck if they are wanting some money out of us, there's already an orderly queue!

Oh and by the way ..does anyone know a cheap way to ship eiderdowns (over 2kg) outside the EU? If so, I'd be ever so grateful if you could drop me a line..£79 is the cheapest I've found so far....£79!?! sounds ridiculous doesn't it?